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Courtesy of Naftali Ejdelman

Grantee Spotlight: Yiddish Farm

By on August 12, 2011 in Grantee Spotlight, New York Ride, Rides

One of the grant recipients of this year’s New York Ride and Retreat is Yiddish Farm, a program started this year with the goal of creating a pluralistic Yiddish-speaking community through farm-based programs.  Yiddish Farm ran its pilot program this summer, with about 10 people who made up a Yiddish-speaking agricultural community on Kayam Farm, a sustainable farm in Maryland.  In 2012, Yiddish Farm will move to a farm they have rented in Goshen, NY, which is not far from New York City, where they hope to eventually keep their community running year-round.  Earlier this summer, The Jew and the Carrot interviewed Naftali Eidelman, who started Yiddish Farm along with Yisroel Bass.  Here are some pieces of the interview that really give a sense of what Yiddish Farm is all about: (more…)

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The Jacoby Rosenfields at the end of last year's New York Ride

Rider Spotlight: The Jacoby Rosenfield Family

By on August 10, 2011 in New York Ride, Rider Spotlight, Rides

The Jacoby Rosenfield family first came on the New York Ride and Retreat three years ago, when Paul was looking for a way to get more involved with exercise, and biking seemed like a good option.  Rachel is very involved in the Jewish environmental community, and works as the director of the Jewish Greening Fellowship at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center.  The New York Ride seemed like the perfect way to bring together the family’s passion for the environment and Paul’s desire to get back into biking.  Paul rode that first ride on an old bike (that he had had since high school!) and loved every second of it.  Rachel and their kids, Maayan, 11, and Yonah, 8, attended as part of the Ruach (Spirit) Crew, and Rachel and Paul were both amazed at the community and environment the ride created (dynamic and pluralistic, in Rachel’s words), and how much their family enjoyed being a part of that community. After the family’s first ride, Paul bought a new bike, and they have attended the ride every year since.  Last year, Paul completed the century ride for the first time, a huge accomplishment!  The whole family has made friends that they […]

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Chewing on Food Justice: Fruits of Our Labor

By on August 10, 2011 in Events, Food, Tzedek/Justice

Everyone’s talking about “food justice” these days, but what is it – really? What are all the pieces at play? How do they all connect? In what ways does “food justice” reflect our Jewish social justice values? And what are the best ways to plug in and take action? Whether this conversation is new or familiar to you, we hope you’ll join us for Chewing on Food Justice, a break down of our broken down global food system. Chewing on Food Justice: Fruits of Our Labor Join us for the third session of the series to learn about workers rights across the food chain. While food workers are some of the most exploited workers in the global economy, they are also leading up some of the most creative and effective organizing campaigns to improve their conditions and bring about a truly fair food economy. Their struggles remind us that a sustainable food system can only be achieved when the people harvesting, packaging, preparing, and serving our food are treated with respect. Our Jewish values demand it and our collective moral compass compels us to work toward it. Come and learn about some of their dynamic efforts and find out how you, […]

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Retreat Highlight: Eden Village Camp

By on August 10, 2011 in New York Ride, Rides

After a weekend retreat spent on the historical grounds of Camp Kinder Ring, New York Ride and Retreat participants will spend Sunday biking from Kinder Ring to Eden Village Camp.  Much, much younger than our other host camp, Eden Village Camp was founded in 2008, and ran its first summer program just last year.  The camp was founded by Vivian and Yoni Stadlin, who imagined a Jewish overnight environmental camp.  In their mission statement they explain, “Rooted in the Jewish vision of creating a more environmentally sustainable, socially just, and spiritually connected world, Eden Village Camp is dedicated to providing campers with an incredible summer experience while empowering them to promote a vibrant future for themselves, their communities, and our planet.” (more…)

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HEA

Hazon Awards Grants to Local Organizations

By on August 8, 2011 in Colorado

Originally posted on Boulder Jewish News. Hazon is pleased to announce that it has granted funds to 11 local community organizations and projects, including several in Boulder. Hazon is the largest Jewish environmental organization and its mission is to create healthy and sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond. We are able to provide grants to strengthen the Jewish food & environmental movement in Denver and Boulder due to the generous support of our funders, Rose Community Foundation, 18 Pomegranates, and the Oreg Foundation. Hazon has two staff members on the ground in Colorado, who are working closely with a lay Steering Committee to enable local programs and institutions to take their work to the next level and enable the Jewish community to contribute to creating healthier and sustainable Boulder and Denver communities overall. With the Colorado Steering Committee’s guidance, Hazon granted funds to local organizations and projects to inspire and grow a range of programs in Boulder and Denver that utilize Jewish food education, Jewish outdoor education, and Jewish environmental education. (more…)

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Grantee Spotlight: AmpleHarvest.org

By on August 8, 2011 in Grantee Spotlight, New York Ride, Rides

For the first time this year, Hazon is excited to offer a grant from the proceeds of the New York Ride to AmpleHarvest.org, an incredible organization whose work fits very well with the theme of this year’s weekend retreat: “Food Choices: Why what we eat matters.” In 2008, Gary Oppenheimer  became the director of a community garden in his hometown of West Milford, New Jersey, and quickly realized that many of the plot holders were growing more food than they could possibly eat, save, or give to friends, and so were leaving a lot of their produce unharvested.  He formed a committee to gather the extra produce and deliver it to local food pantries, and was struck by how difficult it was to find food pantries, as many were unlisted, and did not have websites.  Gary knew that nationally, more than 50 million Americans live in food-insecure homes, and more than 40 million Americans grow their own produce, oftentimes more than they can actually use.  In 2009, Gary started AmpleHarvest.org to be the link between these two groups – encouraging home gardeners to donate their excess produce to people in need in their communities, and connecting them to local food […]

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2010 Hazon NY Environmental Bike Ride

New York Ride & Retreat Shabbat Schedule Announced

By on August 4, 2011 in New York Ride, Recommended Reading, Rides

The educational theme of the New York Ride‘s Shabbat Retreat is “Food Choices: Why What We Eat Matters,” and we are promising participants a fun, relaxing, engaging, and informative weekend at the beautiful Camp Kinder Ring.  The schedule for the weekend has now been finalized, so check it out to learn about all the exciting activities, workshops, services and meals – all keeping with the theme of food choices – offered throughout the retreat weekend. Join us for the Shabbat retreat, and here’s what your weekend might look like: After you arrive on Friday afternoon and settle into your cabin, you might choose to learn a bit of Yiddish in an introductory class: Yiddish on One Foot.  If you’re more excited by food, you can learn some DIY kitchen skills by attending workshops on pickling, challah baking, and making homemade salad dressings.  Or maybe you’ve really been looking forward to the Ride, and will want to learn a bit of bike maintenance in the flat changing workshop.  You can choose how you would most like to welcome in Shabbat as there will be several different service options, and we will all join together to light the candles, and to share […]

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Grantee Spotlight: Teva Learning Center

By on August 3, 2011 in Grantee Spotlight, New York Ride, Rides

The New York Ride is Hazon’s longest-running program, and will take place for the eleventh time this Labor Day weekend.  Each year, the Ride is an opportunity for Hazon to connect with and support new organizations that are doing work we are excited about, and over the years we’ve been able to support upwards of 80 different organizations.  Just as importantly, the Ride has allowed us to build continued, long-lasting relationships with several organizations that we have been involved with from the very beginning, and whose goals and visions are similar to our own.  There are several organizations that have received grants from the New York Ride for many years, but only the Teva Learning Center has been a grant recipient for every one of the New York Rides, 2001-2011. (more…)

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Hazon in the News-July 2011

By on July 31, 2011 in In the News

Press Taking One Last Spin Around Three years of J. Memories on Jweekly.com Nurturing Their Roots: Fellows Flock to Berkeley’s Jewish Urban Farm on Jweekly.com Federation Rewards Innovative Programs That Reach “Next Generation” on JWeekly.com The First Siach Conference: the Video on eJewish Philanthropy. Repair the World’s July 2011 Newsletter   Blogs God is in the Summer Camp from the Foundation for Jewish Camp Jews Eating Well – Not as Obvious as it May Seem! From Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

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Ruth-Messinger

Why We Ride With Hazon: Ruth Messinger [VIDEO]

By on July 29, 2011 in New York Ride, Rides, Video

We want to know, why do you ride with Hazon? We grabbed a video camera and started asking. This week we hear from Ruth Messinger, president and executive director of American Jewish World Service. She has ridden in every New York Ride since its inception. Prior to joining AJWS in 1998, Ruth was in public service in New York City for 20 years, including having served as Manhattan borough president. American Jewish World Service’s Hunger Campaign, Fighting Hunger from the Ground Up, also happens to be a beneficiary of fundraising from the New York Ride. Read more about Fighting Hunger from the Ground Up. Why do you ride with Hazon? Leave your thoughts in the comments! Stay tuned for more videos! Learn More about the New York Ride & Retreat

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Sunset over the Lake

Camp Kinder Ring: 100 Years of History

By on July 28, 2011 in New York Ride, Rides

The New York Ride‘s weekend retreat will take place on the grounds of Camp Kinder Ring, a Jewish summer camp located in Hopewell Junction, New York. Aside from being a beautiful and fun setting for the Shabbaton and start of the Ride, Camp Kinder Ring has a very interesting and unusual history. Camp Kinder Ring was started in 1927 by The Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring, an organization founded in 1900 by Jewish immigrants in New York and still active today, with members across North America. As the number of Eastern European Jews immigrating to the United States grew drastically near the end of the 1800s, it became clear that there was a real need for an organization that would work to preserve the Jewish culture and identity, and to unify the community against the challenges facing new American immigrants. Der Arbeter Ring, or The Workmen’s Circle in English, was founded to meet these challenges, and has evolved with time to adjust to the changing situation of American Jews, while remaining true to its founding principles of Jewish community, the promotion of an enlightened Jewish culture, and social justice. (more…)

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170 Jewish Social Justice Leaders to Meet With Obama Administration

By on July 28, 2011 in Press Release, Tzedek/Justice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 170 Jewish Social Justice Leaders to Meet with Obama Administration Washington, D.C.; July 27, 2011—On Friday, July 29th, 170 representatives of organizations that are part of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable (JSJRT) will travel to the White House for a policy briefing to exchange ideas on housing, healthcare, food justice and education. The JSJRT is a group of 21 nonprofit organizations promoting economic and social justice as a core tenet of Jewish life. “Many people think the Jewish community has only one message to bring to Washington and it’s about Israel,” said Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, director of the Jewish Life and Values Program of the Nathan Cummings Foundation, which funds the JSJRT. “In reality, the Jewish community is deeply involved in issues of social justice here and around the globe. We are so pleased to have been invited to discuss these issues with the White House staff as we work to create a more just world.” Some participants are eager to tell White House officials about the public housing tenants in Chicago who teamed up with local organizations to renovate hundreds of uninhabitable apartments for low-income residents. Others want the Administration to hear how a Jewish community […]

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Boulder’s Bee Flash Mob!

By on July 27, 2011 in Colorado, Video

Every year the Food Conference brings together lots of lovers of sustainable, delicious food, and when so many people with a shared passion are in one place, it’s no surprise that it serves as the starting point for many exciting friendships and collaborations. Aaron Schneider and Maryan Heneim, who met and became friends at the 2009 Food Conference, are a great example. Maryan is the filmmaker of Vanishing of the Bees, and their friendship inspired Aaron to coordinate a very successful screening of the film and tour of Boulder Jewish Commons Community Farm a few weekends ago. While coordinating the event, Aaron got in touch with the Boulder County Beekeepers Association, and ended up participated in a flash mob of people dressed as bees that they organized as part of National Pollinator Week! Check out the video of the flashmob below, and learn more here!

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ADAMAH

Grantee Spotlight: Adamah, The Jewish Environmental Fellowship

By on July 26, 2011 in Grantee Spotlight, New York Ride, Rides

Proceeds of this year’s New York Ride will provide grants to several organizations and projects that are in line with Hazon’s mission.  Among the major grant recipients is Adamah, which is a program of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, located in Northern Connecticut. Adamah connects people to their roots, to the land, to community, to Judaism, and to themselves by providing educational programs and products in order to build a more sustainable world. (more…)

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